Top 10 Lesser Known Tips For A Healthy Life

I think that living a healthy life is a priority on most peoples list. We all want health and happiness so we can live a long and adventurous life. Agree? Well, I’m sure you’ve heard that we should drink more water, get enough sleep and eat nutritious foods, which I agree are great building blocks for a healthy lifestyle, but I wanted to give you some tips that perhaps you haven’t heard of before. I love finding simple and easy ways to improve my life so I hope you enjoy these tips as much as I do!

1. Take Deep Breaths

Obviously breathing is important, but HOW you breathe is just as important. As babies we instinctively breathe into our stomach but as we grow up we start to lose this natural and healthy breath and begin to breathe into our chest. When you breathe into your chest your breathing becomes more shallow and you aren’t providing your body with the oxygen it needs to function properly.

When you take deep breaths you are using your lungs to their full capacity which enriches your blood with oxygen to feed your body and your brain. Deep breaths are also very calming to your nervous system which helps reduce stress and anxiety. Proper breathing restores balance in your body and helps you maintain your mental and physical well being.

2. Don’t Drink With Your Meal

This could be the simple fix you are looking for if you suffer from bloating or other digestive issues. When you eat, the digestive enzymes in your saliva begin the digestive process while you chew your food. Your stomach also starts to release the exact amount of gastric juices needed to digest your food.

So, when you start drinking during your meals you’re actually washing your saliva and diluting the fluids in your stomach, which prevents your food from digesting properly. Essentially, you won’t have enough gastric juices in your stomach to digest all the foods you’ve eaten. So, first off, you’re left with undigested food, and secondly your body can’t properly absorb all the nutrients from the food you’ve eaten.

3. Stretch In The Mornings

What’s the first thing your dog does in the morning once he wakes up? Stretch! Yup, you can learn a couple tricks from your pets. Obviously, I think sparing as little as 10 minutes to do yoga in the morning is best, but even just a couple stretches to wake your body up is better than nothing. It’s a great way to kick start your day by getting your blood flowing and preparing your muscles for the day. Plus, it feels great!

4. Meditate

We live in a time where everything is moving so fast that we can hardly keep up. We’ve come to the point where our minds are so active we don’t even know how to make them stop. Silence is important for our minds. Don’t you agree they need a break? All you need is just a couple minutes a day to get started. I prefer in the mornings once you wake up and at night right before going to bed because this is usually when your mind is the most clear.

It’s as simple as just paying attention to your breath for a couple minutes. It’s a great way to set the tone for your day and to relax before going to sleep. Even if you don’t have time at the beginning and end of your day, finding just a couple minutes to focus on your breath while sitting in traffic or going up the elevator is a great habit to develop. Eventually you’ll find yourself more relaxed and carrying this sense of peace and calmness in your everyday life.

5. Dental Hygiene

I’m hoping you brush your teeth regularly, but what does your flossing routine look like? You know, many dentists say that flossing is actually more important than brushing! There have been several studies that have linked oral bacteria with heart problems and there are new studies that are now linking oral bacteria with Alzheimer’s. That’s right, when you floss you are doing way more then just keeping your gums healthy.

6. Love Your Life

Everyone knows it’s important to love your life, but how many of you are actually doing something about? It’s not healthy to be miserable at your job, have friends that bring you down, or be unhappy with yourself. Find out what it is in your life that’s bringing you down and DO something about it! You want to wake up everyday excited, motivated and happy to be alive. So whether it’s finding a new job, or spending more time with family or friends, remember that you are the one that’s in charge of your life. You have the power to make choices that make YOU happy. Start by smiling more, not taking things so seriously and having a positive outlook.

7. Try An Elimination Diet

Have you noticed that there seems to be more and more people popping up that are having some kind of digestive problem? Well I don’t think it’s a coincidence. With the quality of food that is most readily available to us it was really a matter of time before we started feeling the effects of our diet. I’ve been there. I struggled with my stomach for years with doctors and specialists just feeding me prescriptions to reduce the symptoms instead of to solve the problem. It was very frustrating.

Trying an elimination diet was the best decision I made. Many people have sensitivities to food and don’t even know it. Your headaches, low energy or skin irritation can actually be a result of something you’re eating. The elimination diet I tried mainly eliminated gluten, dairy and sugar; three things that many people seem to be affected by the most. Not only did I feel lighter and healthier, I also got to know my body very well and gained an understanding of the effects certain foods have on my body. If you’re interested click here to check this one out for yourself.

8. Exercise Your Brain

Exercise is not just all about your body, you need to get your brain in on that action too! You need to stimulate you brain regularly to keep it sharp and in tip top shape. Simple daily brain exercises help strengthen, preserve and create new brain pathways and make you more mentally agile. Keeping your brain challenged and engaged is an effective way of reducing your risk of future mental deterioration.

If you don’t use it, you can lose it!

Start adding a bit of challenge to you day by doing things like eating with your opposite hand, using a map instead of a GPS, and drawing with your eyes closed. There are also tons of fun games and apps you can get to help you with memory, concentration, reasoning and mental agility.

9. Kelp

Kelp is a type of seaweed and is an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals. It is an acquired taste, however, it is also available as a supplement that you can take daily. One of the things kelp is most known for is iodine. Many of us are deficient in iodine because most of the food we eat is land grown in nutrient deficient soil. Taking kelp supplements can help keep your bones strong and reduce healing time for fractures, give you energy, calm your body and nervous system, efficiently burn up food which reduces unwanted fat, help your mind function more clearly, is great at keeping a healthy heart and thyroid, and it’s a cancer fighter!

10. Be Present

We are so busy these days that we live most of the time in an unconscious state. We wake up in the mornings, set our mind to autopilot and get on with our day. Just think, do you remember what your spouse or sibling was wearing this morning? Probably not. Most of us are so busy thinking about the future or the past that we aren’t taking full advantage of the only thing we have control of, the present. It’s time to turn autopilot off and start really noticing this beautiful world we have around us along with all the wonderful people we have in our lives. Life only happens now, so start living it!

What are your thoughts? Have any other tips to add? Please share it with me by leaving a comment below!

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About the author

Cristina Lizarazo: Hi! I’m Cristina, a certified yoga instructor with a special interest in athletes and a certified as a Holistic Sports Nutrition Specialist.
I believe that integrating yoga, nutrition, and mindset with sports specific training is the best way to develop a strong mind and body that will serve as the foundation to not just become a stronger athlete, but more importantly, a better one!
My mission is to help mindful athletes, from weekend warriors to professional athletes, unlock their true athletic potential so that they can conquer the crux!!

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